Unexpected
by Ognonamis
Summary: Its been a year since Dean got out of his deal. And when Dean is injured when a job goes horribly wrong...they are forced to take some much deserved time off. during this time off, something very unexpected will happen. Chapter 5 finally! Enjoy!
1. First Sight

Supernatural: Unexpected

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of their characters. I do however own my strange fascination with causing Sam and Dean pain and toying with their emotions.

Summary: Its been a year since Dean got out of his deal. Dean and Sam have been working almost non-stop since but when a job goes horribly wrong and Dean gets injured, they are both forced to take some much needed and well deserved time off for some rest and relaxation. In this time off, something very unexpected will happen that has some shocking results.

_Author Note: So, this is my first Supernatural fan fiction story. I don't know if people will like it or not but I'm gonna write it either way. I really do hope that people like it though. Please read and review. I'm dying to know what people think. Constructive criticism is welcome but please, don't be mean._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter 1: First Sight

Dean shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat of the Impala. "Come on Sam." Dean whined. "We've been on the road all God damned day. I'm sick of being in the damn car." It wasn't something Sam normally heard out of Dean's mouth but understood completely why dean was whining. Their last job had gone horribly wrong and as a result, Dean had been injured. They had just left the hospital that morning and been on the road since then.

"I know Dean." Sam said without taking his eyes off the road. "Just relax. I'll stop at the next motel I see." San knew the phrase 'relax' wouldn't sit well with him. He had spent half the week in the hospital and being cramped up in the Impala wasn't helping at all.

"Relax!" Dean repeated in an elevated, irritated voice. Sam glanced over at Dean who had a serious expression on his face. "Sam…"

"I know…I know." San said. "Bad choice of words."

"Terrible choice of words." Dean snapped back. "Sam….I'm tired….I'm sore….and I'm sick of being cramped up in this damn car."

"I know that Dean." Sam said in an understanding voice. "But there's nothing I can do about that right now. If you see a motel anywhere please….point it out but until then, I don't see any other choice but to keep driving." He really wanted to help his brother but there really wasn't any other choice but to keep driving. He knew that after the last job they had, all Dean wanted to do was sleep.

"Wait!" Dean yelled as he sat up from his slouched position that he had been in for about a half hour or so. "Sam…turn around."

"What….why?" Sam asked as he glanced over to see Dean sat up strait and turned halfway around in his seat.

"Just turn around Sam." Dean snapped again. "Trust me." Even though Dean was in pain from the injuries he had sustained from their last job, he was moving almost as if nothing happened. Wither that or he was just really distracted by what he had seen. One or the other.

"Okay." Sam said and without further ado, he slammed on the brakes and spun the car around in the middle of the road.

"Sam….what the hell are you doing?!" Dean yelled, one hand clenched on the door, the other…the hand of his injured arm, holding his sore ribcage. Once the car was completely stopped, Dam took his hands off the wheel and gave Dean a worried look. That car had been through just as much as they had…if not more. Why was Dean all freaked out about him doing a u-turn?

"Dean…what's going on with you?" Sam asked, worry lacing each and every one of his words. It wasn't like Dean to act like this. On any normal day, Dean would have been tickled about him spinning the Impala around like that. Dean didn't say a word. He just sat there pinned to the seat with his eyes closed tight and breathing heavy. Sam leaned a little closer and put a hand gently on his injured left shoulder. "Dean?"

"Just keep driving Sam…..there's a bar up ahead on the left." Dean answered without opening his eyes. He knew that Sam was worried about him but he just wasn't in the caring and sharing mood at the moment. He was in pain, he was tired, and spinning the car around like that made his stomach churn. Even though Sam had seen him at his lowest points in the past…he still had trouble admitting weakness to him.

Sam took his hand off Dean's shoulder and back on the wheel. He studies his brother for a few seconds, trying to read his features with no luck in the end. "Okay." He said in the same worried tone. He hesitated for a few seconds and glanced at his brother again who wore the same expression on his face as he did before.

Dean took a deep breath when the car started moving again. Sam looking at him the way that he was made him uncomfortable. Not that he had his eyes open or anything but it was the same expression that Sam wore when he was worried about him. He hated having Sam worried about him. That wasn't his job. His job was to just stay safe so Dean wouldn't have to worry about him. And truthfully, it wasn't Dean's job to worry about Sam or protect him, he couldn't help it. It was like it was in his DNA or something. Being born first…being the older brother…it wouldn't matter what Sam did, he'd always be there when he needed help. Hell, that's why he was injured to begin with.

Sam really needed to see why Dean was acting the way he was acting. Well, since he got out of his deal, he was more careful but when it came to Sam, it was like Dead didn't care about himself anymore. He wished his older brother would stop with the 'big brother over protective' act. If he kept it up, he would never have anything or have a life of his own.

Sam knew what it was like to have a life of his own. That's what he had with Jess. He had happiness with Jess….true happiness. That's what he wanted for Dean. Yeah, Dean had felt happiness before but it was never anything that lasted for any length of time. He wanted his brother to have more then just his car.

Dean let out a sigh of relief when the car came to a stop in the parking lot in front of the bar he'd directed Sam to. "Okay Dean….we need to talk." Sam said as he cut power to the engine of the Impala.

"Oh God…what now?" Dean asked in an irritated tone. He wasn't in the caring and sharing mood but evidently…Sam was…like always.

"Look…just shut up for a minute and listen for once." Sam snapped. He wasn't gonna let Dean interrupt him this time. Dean swallowed hard and kept his mouth shut so Sam could speak. "Dean….look at what you're doing to yourself."

"Wait…what are you talking about?" Dean cut in briefly.

"I'm talking about our last job Dean." Sam shot back quickly. "I'm talking about you taking a bullet for me…" Dean closed his eyes. He knew this was going to get brought up. "I'm talking about you thinking that I need to be protected all the time…" Sam paused for a second time.

Dean rubbed his face with his right hand and flopped it down on his leg. "What was I supposed to do Sam….let you get shot?"

Sam gave him a frustrated sigh. "I don't know Dean…I just wish you'd be more careful."

"Wait a minute….I have been." Dean snapped. "Ever since I got out of that damn deal, I've been more careful about everything."

"Everything except me Dean." Sam snapped back. "When it comes to me, you're reckless."

"Look……I don't know really know what to say. I mean…what do you want Sam?" Dean said in a much lower voice. Sam knew that Dean was the way he was and there were certain things that nobody could change about him.

"Dean…I want you to be happy." Sam said. Dean had a shocked look on his face. "I want you to find a woman that you can love…I want you to have a family and the life you never had. I mean…don't you want that? Aren't you sick of hunting?"

"Hell yeah I'm sick if hunting." Dean answered quickly. "You have no idea how much id like to just have a normal life. I mean…id love to have a wife and kids…id love to have a real meal once in a while and mow the lawn once a week…you know…coach tee ball or something. Sam…id love to have all that but all I have right now is you, my snot nosed…oversensitive little brother, and my forty-something year old car. I'll be damned if im gonna let anything happen to either of you."

Sam held up his hands in surrender. "Okay…point taken." He glanced out the windshield of the Impala. There stood the bar that was there when they drove into the parking lot. He'd almost forgotten that they were there. "Well…there's the bar…wanna go in or do you want me to find the nearest motel?"

Dean didn't say anything else. He just opened the dorr and got out. It took all of his concentration to bite back a painful moan. Every movement he made sent searing pain through his ribcage. He knew if he made any noise or sign that he was in pain, Sam would get all worried again. The truth was…he wanted a drink…hell, he deserved it after the way the week had gone.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Hell yeah…this is what im talking about." Dean said with a grin on his face as he and Sam made their way throught the thinned out crowd up to the bar to order drinks.

"Dean…are you sure it's a good idea to be drinking?" Sam asked with a worried look on his face as the both walked up to the bar.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked with a confused look on his face.

"Well…I mean…with the pain killers the hospital put you on…do you really think it's a good idea?" He really didn't want to see anything serious happen to because of Dean mixing powerful painkillers with alcohol.

"What the hell are you talking about?…I haven't taken anything yet." Dean said. He turned to the bartender. "Two beers please." Dean slowly and carefully sat down on the nearest bar stool. "Look Sam…I wish you wouldn't worry about me….I'm fine."

The bartender set the two beers down on the bar in front of them both. Dean reached up and grabbed his beer almost forgetting about how much it hurt to move his left arm ad was instantly rewarded with a sharp pain shooting pain through his arm.

Sam couldn't help but notice the grimace on his older brother's face as he reached for his beer. "Yeah…looks like it." He said as he sat down on the vacant barstool next to Dean.

"Sam…"

"I know….I know…you're fine…stop asking…I've heard it all before." Sam said just before taking a sip of his beer.

"Look…Sammy. I get that you're worried….I do. But this isn't helping matters at all. What's done is done." Dean had an understanding expression on his face. The truth was…Sam _had_ heard it all before. They had had the same conversation so many times that Dean lost count. Hell, they had the conversation on a daily basis after he got out of his deal.

"I know what's don't is done Dean but…"

"Oh…my…god!" Dean interrupted, his back turned to Sam as if he wasn't even paying attention to him.

"Dean." Sam said trying to snap Dean out of it. He got no answer. "Dean…" Dean looked like a deer stuck in headlights. Why was Dean in awe? What had him so distracted? Sam was completely dumbfounded until he finally saw what had Dean's full and undivided attention. Sam couldn't help the smirk that broke across his face. It was so typical of Dean to easily get distracted by a woman. On any normal day, Dean would be all over her….hitting on her…and not thinking twice about it. But something was different this time.

Dean could barely believe what he was seeing. This woman…this woman heading towards the bar was the most beautiful human being he had ever seen in his life. She was perfect. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail revealing a smooth, elegant complexion that it seems only an angel would have. And her eyes…her eyes were so beautiful that Dean couldn't even _think_ of words to describe them. Except that they were looking right at him.

"Yes?" she asked as she reached the bar. Dean was staring at her and didn't even notice until she spoke up. He'd been studying her. He never studied women. If he liked what he saw…he usually just went after it. But something was different this time. After getting no answer out of him, she turned to the bartender. "Shot of taquila please." the bartender nodded and left to make her drink. She turned back to Dean who was still staring at her and raised her eyebrows in invitation, hoping that he might say something.

Dean opened his mouth, about to say something but nothing came out. Nothing at all. Dean wanted to say something…anything. But it was as if he was paralyzed. Like he couldn't move his mouth at all. _Must be the painkillers._ Dean thought. Yeah…that had to be it. It had to be the reason he was acting like a twelve year old trying to ask out a girl for the first time. _Wait…I didn't take anything today….Dammit…what the hell is wrong with me?_

The beautiful angel standing in front of him turned back to the bartender. "On second thought…could you make that two?" the bartender walked off and poured a second shot of taquila. As the bartender walked back with both taquila shots, Dean couldn't help but keep staring at her. He'd seen his fair share of beautiful women in his life but this one took the cake. She paid for the drinks and bid the bartender farewell with a warm smile on her face.

After paying for the drinks, she turned back to Dean and set one of the taquila shots down in front of him. "Drink up big boy." she said with the same warm smile on her face. "Maybe after you wont feel like such an idiot." And without another word, she downed her shot of taquila in one gulp and slammed the shot glass, bottom side up, onto the bar. She flashed him another smile and walked off leaving him completely dumbrounded and confused. How could this happen? It was usually him working over women…what makes this woman so difficult?

Sam couldn't help but grin after seeing his brother crash and burn. Normally Dean had no trouble at all when it came to women but this time was different. He didn't really know how….but it was.

"Dud…stop looking at me like that." Dean snapped. He still had his back turned to Sam but knew that if he turned around, Sam would be sitting there with a goofy grin on his face. Not that he really blamed him though. It wasn't exactly everyday that he was left speechless by a woman.

"I'm sorry Dean but did you see what just happened?" Sam asked before mentally slapping himself upside the head for asking such a stupid question. Of course Dean saw it…he lived it.

Dean slowly turned in his seat and looked at Sam. "Sam…." Sam held up both hands. He didn't want to get in an argument with Dean. Dean closed his eyes with a scowling expression and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, the shot glass loomed in his vision. He grabbed the shot glass with his right hand. "Bottoms up dude." And without another word, he downed the shot in one gulp. Maybe she was right. Maybe he would feel like less of an idiot after having the shot of taquila. Or maybe he would get sick but the first possibility was the one he was hoping for.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The beautiful woman, the angel that had Dean stunned wasn't an angel at all….or at least, the company that she kept wasn't. as Dean sat there contemplating what went wrong, Sam watched her walk back to the table that she was at. Well, it was a pool table but a table nonetheless. It seems like she kept a pretty odd bunch for company. Instead of staring like an idiot , like Dean, he decided to just sip his beer and listen. Some people might call it eavesdropping but Sam liked to think of it as being a little over observant.

"So Nia…who was that guy at the bar anyway?" Another girl at the pool table asked her. _So her name is Nia…interesting name_. Sam thought to himself as he continued to listen.

"I don't really know." Nia answered. "He seems awfully shy though." _Huh…Dean…Shy? yeah right._ If she only knew how far Dean was to the contrary. If only she knew how much Dean loved to flirt with every good looking woman he saw. If she only knew how many one night stands he had had in the past.

"God Dammit!" Dean said in a low voice snapping Sam's attention back to him. So much for observation.

Dean sat there, staring at the empty shot glass with a grimace on his face. Why was it that Sam was always right about this sort of thing. Sam warned him that drinking was a bad idea and now he was gonna pay the price for it.

"Hey man…you okay?" Dam asked with a concerned look on his face. It looked like Dean was going to hurl. He warned Dean about drinking. Yeah…Dean didn't take any pain medication but he did however, have an empty stomach.

Dean held up one hand. "Don't." Sam knew that Dean was pissed off about him being right again. Dean always hated being proven wrong by his "snot nosed oversensitive little brother". Without another word or letting Sam say anymore, Dean got up and walked away from the bar. Sam followed him with his eyes until he disappeared through the front doors.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Dean barely made it out to the Impala when he hurled, spewing the entire contents of his stomach, what little contents there were, onto the ground in front of him, barely missing the passenger side front tire. Yeah…Sam was right and he hated that. Dean hated puking. It was one of the things he despised most of all. And it was even more so this time. After the heaving was finally over, the only thing he was left with was a really nasty aftertaste and pain. Extreme pain. He braced himself on the Impala with his good arm as pain seared through his sore ribcage and pulsed through his entire body making it hard to breathe.

"Hey…are you okay?" that voice…that voice was so familiar. He wanted to say something but all he could manage to let out of his mouth was a low and painful moan. "Hey…maybe you should sit down."

"I'm fine." Dean answered in a low, raspy, barely there voice. The pain was robbing him of his voice as well…god he was so sick of being injured because of "the hunt".

Nia let out a frustrated sigh and reached around him and popped the door open. "Come on…sit down for a few seconds and rest." Dean didn't want to give in to someone else's orders but found himself sitting down anyway. Like he told Sam in the car. He was tired, he was sore, and all he really wanted to do was sleep. But of course he had to have the bright idea to go to the bar.

Dean, still trying to catch his breath, found himself clutching his sore ribcage. God…he had no idea that a few broken ribs would hurt quite so bad. Its not like he hadn't been injured before but with the bullet wound along with the broken ribs…it was impossible to get comfortable.

Nia nealt down in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder…his injured shoulder. He flinched when her hand made contact with him and soft, painful moan escaped his lips. "Hey…are you okay?" she asked him again hoping that maybe this time she would get an honest answer.

Dean slowly opened his eyes to see the same beautiful woman that he'd seen at the bar. Now he really felt like an idiot. Not only did he make an idiot out of himself at the bar, but she also saw him hurl.

Nia couldn't help but smirk. "Hey…taquila." She said. She wasn't sure what to think. What were the odds that she would run into him again like that. He was someone she definitely didn't expect to see again.

"It's Dean." He answered. That's just what he needed, to get the nickname "taquila" after puking his guts out at a bar.

She gave him a warm and friendly smile. "My name is Nia."

"Son of a bitch." Dean said angrily. Not only was he pissed off at himself for embarrassing himself not once but twice, but he was in pain. He finally managed to get his breathing somewhat back to normal but his heart was still pounding.

Nia watched him closely as he struggled with his pain. She was known to be quite observant and she had noticed a few things since she first caught him staring at her in the bar. First thing…something was definitely wrong with his shoulder. All she did was gently touch it and he flinched away in pain. And the second thing…something had happened to his ribs. He'd been holding his ribs since she first saw him. Even now…he was holding his ribs…something must've happened to him. "So what happened to you?" she asked inquisitively.

"What do you mean? You saw what happened." Dean answered quickly. How could she not see that? She must be blind if she missed him puking his guts out…and to top it all off, she had to have heard him. He was so loud that he thought even people in China could hear him.

"No…I'm not talking about you getting sick." God…she just wanted to slap him upside the head. He may have been shy and whatnot but he was a typical man in one aspect. He knew that he was injured and in pain but he wasn't willing to admit it. He knew exactly what she was talking about but avoided answering her question by giving her a lame answer. "I'm talking about your injuries."

_How the hell did she know I'm injured?_ Dean thought. How indeed? It's not like he broadcasted his ailments. He usually kept them to himself. Mostly so Sam wouldn't get worried and also because he needed to be strong for his younger brother. Despite how many times Sam told him the opposite. "How did you…"

"I'm observant." Nia interrupted.

"You've been watching me?" Dean asked feeling his mood lift some.

"It's not exactly that hard to tell that you're injured." Nia started. Before Dean could jump in and say anything, she continued. "You've been favoring your left arm all night and you've had your arm wrapped around your ribcage like you broke a rib or something." She paused for a second and checked for a reaction out of him. "Not only that…but…you still have your hospital bracelet on."

Dean sighed and looked down at the hospital bracelet still on his left wrist. He couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face. How could he be so stupid? The hospital bracelet was so simple and it was a dead giveaway.

"So what happened?" Nia asked again. She really was curious. He didn't really look like the typical guy that would just pick a fight with anyone.

Dean looked back up at Nia. "A job gone wrong." It was an honest answer but it lacked specificity. There was a hell of a lot more to it then just a "job gone wrong". it was a complicated job to begin with and he almost lost Sam in the process.

"Job…are you a cop or something?" She asked. Honestly, how many jobs could there be where you would get that injured? It was either some sort of law enforcement job or he was a soldier. It was one or the other.

Dean couldn't help the sudden outburst of laughter that escaped his lips. Oh…that was rich. Him….a cop…that was probably one of the most insane thing he had ever heard in his life. And for him and his family's track record…that was saying something.

A smirk broke across Nia's face. "Wha…what's so funny?" she asked not quite understanding his humor on the subject. Indeed…what was so funny? She barely heard anything from him and no he was in hysterics. "Seriously…what's so funny?" she asked after listening to him laugh for a few seconds.

"The irony." Dean said as his smile quickly faded with the sudden return of pain in his ribcage.

"Irony?" Nia asked. Boy…was he throwing her for a loop. What the hell was he talking about?

"Yeah." Dean said. He took a deep breath. Well, as deep a breath as he could without causing more pain. "It's a really….really long and complicated story." Yeah, like Dean would ever have the time to tell her the whole story.

Nia shrugged her shoulders. "I have plenty of free time." she really was curious what happened to him and him telling her that it was a "really.…really long and…complicated story" only heightened her curiosity more.

Dean chuckled. "Even if I did tell you…you wouldn't believe a single word out of my mouth. Hell…sometimes I still have trouble wrapping my head around it."

"You'd be surprised what I'll believe." Nia answered as she le her mind wander to her experiences with the unbelievable. He had no idea what she would or wouldn't believe.

Dean looked up at her to see a smile on her face. Such a beautiful smile. The type of smile he hadn't seen in what seemed like a lifetime. The smile didn't last long though. "Hold on a minute…I'll be right back." Nia said and before Dean could stop her, she left.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Nia didn't really want to stop talking to Dean but at the moment, she had more pressing matters to deal with. Her ex-boyfriend. She told him one too many times to leave her alone. And he did leave her alone for quite a while but from time to time, he would go looking for her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nia asked with a serious expression on her face as she approached a man that was walking towards the bar. The man, having heard her question, turned around quickly to face her.

"Nia…Oh God…I've been looking all over for you." The man said. He was almost hysterical.

"Look Rob.." She started. "When I said that we were over…I meant it. I've had it…with you trying to wiesel your way back into my…"

"It's open." He interrupted, quickly snapping her to attention.

"Excuse me?" Nia asked in sock.

"The box…somebody opened it up." He said. "When I finally found it…the seal was broken and it was empty.

Nia closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and suppress the anger that was building inside her. How could this happen? How could the box get opened up? Rob reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. She srugged away. "Just leave me alone Rob…and I mean it this time." Without another word, she walked away.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Everything okay?" Dean asked as Nia walked back to the Impala. She wasn't the only one who was observant. She was happily badgering him about his past a few minutes ago…now she was upset and…well…it seemed like she was actually a little scared.

"Yeah…everything's fine." Nia said. "But unfortunately…I have to get going." She really didn't want to leave but she had to go back to her apartment to take some necessary precautions. "So are you just passing through or are you sticking around for a while?"

Dean looked up at her and gave her a trademark Dean smirk. "I don't know." He started. "It's kinda up to my geek brother. He has the keys." He paused for a second. "And it depends on if he can actually find a motel."

"There's actually one a few miles up the road called Johnston's Motor Lodge." Nia explained. "It's not the best place in the world but I've seen far worse."

"Okay…thanks." Dean said. "I'll definitely have to keep that in mind."

Nia looked at her watch. "Well, I have to get going." She started to walk away but after walking about six feet away, she stopped and turned around to face him. "See you around…taquila." Dean couldn't help but smile as she walked off.

Who was this girl? How was it that she could completely throw Dean off his game with a single look or smile? She wasn't like any woman he had ever met before. She held her own against him…in fact…she was actually the one who was telling him what to do. It was definitely something he wasn't used to…but he liked it.

"Hey man…you okay?" Dean looked up to see Sam standing there with a concerned look on his face. He must've seen the vomit on the ground…that and he already knew it was going to happen.

"Yeah…I'm fine." Dean said as Sam opened the drivers side door and sat down. "Hey…there's a motel a few miles up the road and I don't know about you…but I'm tired." Dean said as he slowly and carefully swung his legs into the car and shut the door.

Sam started the car and shut his door. "Okay…lets go." He put the car in drive and they sped out of the parking lot and off down the road to find the motel that Nia had told Dean about. Off to find Johnston's Motor Lodge.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_So there is chapter one. I know it may be different then the type of stories that you usually read. That's kind what I'm aiming for. And I know that the whole "box" thing id kinda out of the blue but fear not…it will be explained in full. Like any other story ive written, things will be unraveled eventually and everything happens for a reason._

_Anyway…thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it._

To be continued…


	2. Inner Torment

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of their characters. I do however own my strange fascination with causing Sam and Dean pain and toying with their emotions.

_Author Note: Thank you so much for the review. It was only one but I don't care. From the amount of people who put the story on story alert, it tells me that people are reading it and want to continue to read it. The truth is…this story is a completely new thing for me. I mean, it does or will have some of the same types of things in it that I would have in any other of my fan fiction stories but I'm going to try to weave all kinds of other things into it. This chapter is….well….after I wrote it (the first draft), I weren't sure if it was the right way to go. Still not sure actually, but I'm going to post it that way anyway. I also plan on tying up all loose ends at the end but just like I said before…I plan on making this a fairly long story._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter 2: Inner Torment

"_Sam!" Dean yelled as he rounded the corner into the hallway. They had gone to the house just to investigate a simple haunting but once they got there, things went sour really quick. "Come on Sam…where are you?" There was nothing. Not a sound anywhere. Sam had disappeared almost two hours ago and Dean had searched the entire house from top to bottom already._

_Well, maybe Dean hadn't searched the housed from top to bottom but that's what it seemed like. He had been walking up and down hall after hall without any luck. "Come on Dude…work with me here." Dean yelled hoping that maybe he might get an answer this time. He was getting frustrated. Nothing like going in circles in a big ass house to piss someone off._

_Suddenly, a faint sound in the distance snapped Dean to attention making him stop dead in his tracks. He listened closely to find out where the sound was coming from and maybe what it was. It sounded like two people in a scuffle but he couldn't figure out where._

"_Come one Sam…say something." Dean said in a normal voice as he walked down the hall, gun ready, towards the scuffling sound he was hearing. He passed room after room and it seemed like he wasn't getting any closer._

_Then suddenly, a loud gun shot rang out into the still air. "Sam!" Dean yelled as he took off in a dead run. He knew that his younger brother could take care of himself but he didn't want to take chances. Dean kept running until something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He stopped dead in his tracks._

_At that moment, Dean's heart sank and he felt like he couldn't breathe. It was like something out of his worst nightmare. "Sam." Dean whispered to himself as he dropped his gun and made a mad dash into the room right beside him. The room that Sam was in._

"_Sam!" Dean said a little louder as he knelt down and took his brother's still form into his arms. "Oh God Sam…don't do this to me." He couldn't hear Sam breathing and the blood…oh god…there was so much blood. Dean put his hands over the wound on Sam's neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He couldn't help the breaking in his voice as he spoke. "Come on Sam…this isn't supposed to happen…it's not your time…Sammy…Sam..." He couldn't help the panic in his voice as the blood oozed out between his fingertips. The only explanation for it that Dean could think of was that the bullet hit the artery._

_Dean, having realized that there was nothing he could do, let go of his younger brother's lifeless body and took a few steps back. He stared at his blood-soaked hands in disbelief. "This isn't happening." Yeah…like the dead body of his younger brother could convince him that he was right. He shook his head. "No…not again…no."_

"Sam!" Dean bolted upright in bed and looked around the motel room with panic running through his veins. Dean took a deep breath when he saw Sam still sound asleep in the bed beside his. "It was only a dream." He whispered as he ran a hand shakily through his hair.

Normally Dean could keep things to himself but this time, after having such a vivid dream about Sam again, he wasn't sure how much he could hold in. His heart was pounding and it felt like he couldn't breathe. Just like he felt in the dream. The dream….why would he dream about Sam dying again? Especially in the house their last job was in.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Dean didn't really know where he was going to go when he went outside. All he knew was that he needed to get away. He needed to get away from anything that reminded him of Sam. If he didn't, he'd go crazy. The dream…the dream had freaked him out on more levels then he cared to admit. After he made sure the motel room door was closed tightly, he leaned against it and let the events of his dream wander back into his head. The sight of his brother lying still and lifeless on the floor, of Sam bleeding to death and not being able to do anything about it hit a nerve with him. Just the thought of it was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

Dean ran his a shaky hand through his hair again. "Son of a bitch." He said as he felt his emotions started to take over. Why was he feeling this way? Why was it that a simple run of the mill nightmare was bothering him so much? Normally nightmares and other messed up dreams didn't bother him but this one…this one was about Sam. Why did it have to be about Sam of all people? The dream was almost how things would've taken place if he hadn't taken the bullet for Sam.

_He stared at his blood-soaked hands in disbelief. "This isn't happening." Yeah…like the dead body of his younger brother could convince him that he was right. He shook his _

_head. "No…not again…no."_

Dean swallowed hard and took a deep breath in an attempt to keep control of the emotional storm that was threatening to take control of him. "God dammit Sam." He said in a depressed tone as he stepped away from the door.

Sam would be up soon and if Dean didn't either get control over himself or leave, Sam would be asking him all kinds of questions. Like the night before, he really wasn't in the caring and sharing mood. He didn't want to talk to Sam about everything that was on his mind. Nor did he want talk about the nightmare he had. The only way to be alone would be to just leave and get some fresh air and cool off. Dean took a deep breath and set off through the parking lot towards the road. Maybe a nice, long walk would help him gain control over his emotions. Instead of having Sam pestering him…asking him what's wrong…he would only have to deal with himself.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"So…what did you think about that exam we had the other day?" Nia asked her friend Alyson who as driving her back homed after class.

"Which one?" Alyson asked which inadvertently pointed out to Nia that they had had three or four exams that week. After all, it was finals week and they did have most of the same courses.

"Good point." Nia said with an un-surprised look on her face.

"What the hell is that?" Alyson asked pointing out a small figure on the side of the road. Nia squinted her eyes so she could see what Alyson was talking about.

"I have no idea." Nia said as she kept her eyes on the figure up ahead on the side of the road. "Wait a minute…" She said to herself as they got closer. It was somebody sitting on a rock on the side of the road. The person looked so familiar. As they got closer, she started to recognize who it was sitting on the rock. She couldn't help but smile when she realized who it was. "Tequila?" She whispered. "Alyson…pull over."

"What…why?" Alyson asked. Why the hell would Nia want her to pull over? And more importantly, why the hell would she want to talk to some random guy found on the side of the road.

"Just pull over Allie." Nia said using the nickname people rarely used when addressing Alyson. Everyone knew that she really didn't like it but the only one she allowed to use it was Nia.

"Okay." Alyson answered in a skeptical tone. Once she pulled the car over and put it in park, she gave Nia a concerned look.

"What?" Nia asked uncomfortably. She didn't like it when people looked at her like that. It creeped her out a bit. But then again…people staring at her in any way creeped her out. After not getting a reply out of her friend, she decided to continue with an explanation. "Look…I know who that is. I'm gonna go talk to him. I'll call later." She popped the door open and started to get out.

"Wait a minute…you just want me to leave you here?" Alyson asked with a look of disbelief on her face.

Nia took a deep breath. "Look Allie…I'll call you if I need anything." Alyson gave her a disbelieving look.

"Are you sure?" Alyson asked. She had had one too many occasions where Nia made snap decisions and gotten herself into a jam. But instead of calling her like she said she would, she would end up making things worse by trying to fix it herself. Nia was far too independent for her own good. "Are you sure you just want me to leave you here?"

"Positive." Nia answered as she got out of the car completely and closed the door behind her. She gave Alyson a quick wave before watching her drive off. Nia took a deep breath and jogged across the street. Dean wasn't that far up the road so after jogging across the street, she decided to walk the rest of the way.

"Hey." Nia said after finally reaching Dean who was sitting on a rather large rock. She didn't get an answer at first. "Dean…" She was hoping that it would get his attention.

Dean slowly turned his head to see, again, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. "You." It was the only thing that he could think about saying. Truth be told, her presence actually surprised him. He really didn't think he would see her again. He figured he and Sam would be on the road again already.

"Yeah." She answered as she knelt down beside the rock. There was a silence that hung in the air for a few seconds. "So…where's your car?"

"Back at the motel." Dean answered in a calm tone. It seemed like he finally got a leash on his emotions. Well, it was a short and very fragile leash that could snap at any time but it was a leash nonetheless. "I left it in case Sammy needed it."

"Sammy?" Nia questioned. "Your geek brother?"

"Yeah…but he only lets me call him Sammy." Dean explained. "To everyone else…it's Sam." Nia smirked. It was so cute that Sam had a nickname that only Dean could use. It reminded her of her younger sister who called her NeeNee all the time instead of Nia.

Dean took a deep, shaky breath. He could feel his emotions bubbling back up. He could feel the leash he threw over his emotions tightening. Just the mere mention of Sam made his dream return to him. The sight of Sam laying on the floor…and the blood…The sight 

of Sam bleeding to death…and not being able to do anything about it…The thought that it could've happened if he didn't take a bullet for him…It ate him up inside. It ate him up inside so much that the leash he had on his emotions finally snapped. He really didn't want to become all emotional in front of her but honestly…what could he do? He tried holding it all in but it didn't work. He took another shaky deep breath as he felt hot tears running down his cheeks. He didn't normally cry in front of other people but at this point…he really didn't care.

"So…" Nia started. She wanted to ask him something but when she looked over at him, her heart sank. "Hey…" She said in a caring tone. She didn't understand the complete and sudden change in his mood. "Are you okay?" Duh…of course he wasn't okay. She knew he wasn't but she had to ask anyway.

Dean didn't answer her. He just sat there, staring off into space, letting his emotions take over. He just didn't have the strength to keep them at bay any longer.

Nia could feel sadness radiating off him. He didn't have to tell her anything for her to know that there was something eating away at him inside. The expression on his face was a dead giveaway. "Hey." She said in the same caring tone as she put a gentle hand on his back. She was about to say something else when she heard the sound of rock music. It sounded like a ringtone.

Dean reluctantly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and opened it up. It was Sam. He knew it was Sam when he put the phone up to his ear. "Dean…Dean…where the hell are you?" He could hear Sam's voice loud and clear. He knew Sam was worried about him by the tone of his voice but he just didn't want to talk to him right now. He squeezed his eyes shut remembering the dream he had that night. Without a saying a single word to Sam, he closed his cell phone, hanging up on Sam in the process.

Nia looked at Dean, then at the phone which now sat lifeless in Dean's hand, and then back at Dean again. "Was that your brother Sam?" Dean slowly nodded. He closed his eyes and let the tears run down his cheeks some more. Nia didn't know what to think. She didn't really picture him as being an emotional person…yet here he was…crying his eyes out in front of her…someone he didn't even know.

His phone rang again. Dean opened it up and put it to his ear. He had a feeling it was Sam and when he heard the voice on the other end…he knew that he was right. "Dean…come on man. I know you're there." Dean didn't want to talk to him or be around him right now. Everything about Sam reminded him of the dream he had. He was about to hang up the phone when Nia stopped him.

"Wait…don't hang up." She said. Dean gave her a strange look through his tear filled eyes and closed the phone anyway. "You should talk to him." She couldn't be any more direct with the statement. She knew that whatever had him so torn up had to do with Sam. The question was…what was it?

Dean wiped his face with the sleeve of the long sleeve shirt he was wearing and sighed in frustration. "I don't wanna talk to him right now." He explained in a low and irritated voice. Without another word, he stood up and started walking again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sam paced the empty motel room frantically. What the hell was going on? It wasn't like Dean to take off like that and it especially wasn't like Dean to leave the Impala behind. 

Suddenly his phone rang startling him a bit. He opened it up quickly and answered it. "Dean…it's about friggin' time. Where the hell are you?"

"Sam…what do you mean…what's going on?" Sam raked his fingers through his hair angrily. It wasn't Dean…it was Bobby.

"Hey Bobby." He said in a much calmer tone, betraying what he actually felt.

"Sam…what's going on?" Bobby asked, worry laced through his words.

"When I woke up…Dean was gone. The Impala was here but he wasn't." He knew that Bobby could tell that he was angry. Angry and upset but he didn't really care. Something had to be wrong with Dean for him to just leave the Impala like that and keep hanging up on him like that. "I keep calling him and he keeps hanging up."

"Let me try him on his phone." Bobby said. "I'll call you back after." And without another word, he hung up.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Dean's phone rang again. "Come on Sammy…let it go." He whispered as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the number and realized it wasn't Sam at all. It was Bobby. He opened it and put it up to his ear. 

"Dean…you stubborn son of a…." He held his tongue. He knew that when he talked to Sam, that Sam was frantic. He spent half the week worrying about Dean and this was just making matters worse. "Why the hell wont you answer your brother when he calls?"

Dean could feel tears coming to his eyes again. "Bobby…I can't." Dean started, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. "I just…"

"What's going on with you?" Bobby's tone was instantly changed to concern. He knew the tone in Dean's voice and knew that there was something wrong. It was the same tone Dean had after he confronted him about making the deal to bring Sam back.

"Bobby…things could've gone a lot different you know." Dean blurted out. "Sam could've been the one shot instead of me." He turned around and started walking back to 

the rock he was previously sitting on.

"Jesus Dean…Is that what this is about...your last job?" Bobby asked. He kind of figured before hand. Dean was probably the more emotional one out of the two brothers…he just didn't show it very often. He usually bottled up all of his emotions, good and bad, until he exploded. He had only seen it happen a couple of times before and knew that it was due to happen again soon.

"Bobby…I can't talk to Sam right now….I just can't." He knew his voice changed when he felt the tears run down his face once again. "I've got too much on my mind right now and I just need some time alone."

"Okay." Bobby said. He hadn't seen Dean this messed up in a long time. Whatever he was bottling up was big and it had to do with Sam and their last job. Yeah…Dean did take a bullet for Sam but that was just the way Dean was. He wouldn't just stand there and watch his brother get shot. He had already proven that he would do anything for Sam but Sam didn't like it when Dean risked himself. Odds were that Sam starting giving him hell again for pushing him out of the way and getting sent to the hospital for half the week. He knew that Sam was worried about Dean and didn't want anything to happen to Dean after he got out of his deal, but getting mad at him for protecting his younger brother would just upset him. Bobby let out a sigh. "Okay. I'll let him know…but you're gonna have to talk to him eventually."

"I know Bobby." Dean said. He knew that even though Sam wouldn't understand, Bobby would. He thought that he would hear more from Bobby but Bobby hung up the phone.

Nia watched Dean as he stood there with a blank expression on his face and his cell phone closed in his hand. She wanted to say something to him but weren't sure if anything out of her mouth would be of any help. He was too much of an emotional mess for anything out of her mouth to help.

Dean took a shaky deep breath and wiped the tears from his face with his shirt sleeve again. Who knows…maybe Bobby would be able to talk to Sam and get him to leave him alone for a little while so he could get his emotions back in check. It was a long shot but it was the only shred of hope that Dean could cling to at the moment. He pushed the thought out of his head as he continued walking back to the rock he was previously sitting on.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sam continued to pace the motel room the entire time he was waiting for Bobby to call back. He knew that if anyone could get through to Dean, it was Bobby. He was about to sit down on the bed when the phone rang startling him a little.

"Hey Bobby." Sam said after he opened the phone up and held it to his ear.

"Sam…what the hell did you say to him?" Bobby's tone was a little harsher then he intended.

"What?" He was confused. What was Bobby talking about? "What do you mean? I told you that he was gone when I woke up. He won't talk to me. I already told you that he keeps hanging up on me."

"Well, he's upset about something Sam and it has to do with you." Bobby explained. He knew that the boys were really close but there were times that they clashed. He knew that whatever was wrong with Dean was probably due to something that Sam said. Dean claimed that that stuff didn't bother him but it did. Then it hit him. "You didn't give him hell again for taking that bullet…did you?"

Sam's eyes widened. He knew exactly what Bobby was talking about. He didn't think what he said to Dean would have that kind of effect on him. "Bobby…all I told him was that he needs to be more careful."

"Well, I think that has something to do with his mood." Bobby explained.

"Bobby…I know I can help if he would just say something but he won't talk to me." Sam said.

"I know you can help him Sam." Bobby said. "Just give him some time kid…give him some time to work things out." Sam let out a sigh and hung up the phone.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"So…do you think your brother will call again?" Nia asked noticing that Dean's mood had lifted a little.

Dean took a deep breath. "I hope not." He still didn't want to talk to Sam. Even thought he felt a little better than he did before, he still didn't want to talk to him. He knew that if he saw Sam or talked to Sam…it would just make him upset again. "I just hope that Bobby got through to him."

"Bobby…Is he like a family member or something?" Nia asked in curiosity. 

"He might as well be. He's been close to me and Sammy since…" Before he could continue, he phone rang. He stood up and took a few steps and pulled his phone out of his pocket. At first, he thought it was Bobby but when he opened it and put it to his ear, he knew that it was Sam.

"Come on Dean….whatever is wrong…just tell me." Sam said. At that moment, Dean's mood started to revert back to what it was earlier. Why couldn't Sam just give him some time alone? Why couldn't he just let him sort out all the stuff that was on his mind? 

No…of course not. Sam had to call and bug him.

Dean could feel his heart start pounding as he pulled the phone away from his ear and closed it. All he wanted was some time alone to think and Sam just couldn't take a hint. He thought about putting the phone back in his pocket or even turning it off but found a better way to blow some steam off. He took the phone and threw it as far as he could possible throw it. Yeah…that would make him feel better. Boy was he wrong. After throwing the phone, he was rewarded with sharp pain shooting through his shoulder and his ribcage. He let out a painful moan when he realized that he threw it with his left arm. The one he had been shot in.

Dean immediately cradled his ribcage with his left arm and staggered back a couple of steps until Nia stood up and put both of her hands out to stop him. "Hey…take it easy." She said in a concerned tone. She kept her hands behind him until he sat down on the rock once again. She could tell by the expression on his face that he was in a lot of pain. His eyes were screwed up tight and it looked like all the color drained from his face. "You okay?"

Dean wanted to answer her…he really did. But at the moment, he was trying to breathe. The sudden movement from throwing his phone jarred his sore and busted ribs mercilessly and now he had to deal with the concequences.

Nia sat there and waited until Dean composed himself before she said anything. "So…were you heading anywhere in particular this morning when you left the motel?" She didn't want to sound nosey but it came out that way anyway.

"The bar I guess. I didn't really have anywhere in mind when I started walking." Dean explained. "It was kind of a last minute decision."

"Well…I was actually heading that way when I had my friend drop me off so if you want…I can walk with you." She weren't sure if he would accept her offer or turn her down flat. She was hoping that he would so she could talk to him more. He seemed so complex to her and she wanted to know more about him.

Dean nodded. "Okay." He said and he got up, signaling that he was ready to go.

"Awesome." Nia said with a smile on her face as she got up off the rock. Then, without another word, they started walking..

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_So there is chapter 2. I apologize if it seemed a bit slow and mushy. There is a reason for it all. I also apologize about Dean being OOC. Well, I think he is OOC. He normally isn't emotional but there is a reason for that too. Lots more Dean whumpage in future chapters. And…oh…I almost forgot…sorry about my overuse of the word "hell". I just thought it fit well where I put it. Please read and review…like I said…this is __planned to be a really long fic. Enjoy. _


	3. Emotional Baggage

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of their characters. I do however own my strange fascination with causing Sam and Dean pain and toying with their emotions.

_So there was a bigger reaction to my story then I thought. Thank you so much for the reviews guys…it really helps to know that what I am writing is being read by others. I really love the reviews. So here is chapter 3. Again…I hope I don't go wrong with this chapter. Still not sure what the story should look like in the big picture but I guess I will find out as I am going along just like you. I hope this isn't too slow of a chapter for you. I'll try to make it as exciting as possible. Enjoy._

Chapter 3: Emotional Baggage

The long walk had lightened Dean's mood considerably. By the time they got to the bar, he felt like normal again…like he hadn't gotten upset at all. He knew that a long walk and some time away from Sam would do a world of good. There was also Nia. She was there when he actually needed someone but was too stubborn to ask for help. What was it about her? Why did she even want anything to do with him? Why did she want to help him? Why?

"Earth to Dean…you awake?" The sight of Nia's hand waving in front of his face snapped him back to reality.

"Huh." Dean said as he looked at her.

"Oh…so you are awake." Nia said. There was a silence that hung in the air between them as they both sipped on their drinks. There was something really bugging her about him. What was going on with him and his brother? "Okay…can I ask you something?"

"Yeah…go ahead." Dean said.

"What's the deal with you and your brother?" She asked not knowing if it would upset him or anything. "Did he do or say something to piss you off?"

Dean sat there for a second. The question kind of caught him off guard. "Nah."

"Well, you seem kind of angry with him." Nia said. "I thought maybe it was something he said to you that had you so upset earlier."

"No." Dean said. He took a deep breath. "I didn't sleep well." He made sure to keep his explanation vague. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her in full detail what his dream was about or what had happened on their last job. But odds are she was going to ask more questions so he would probably have to tell her anyway.

"How come?" She asked not intending to be nosey but it came out that way anyway. "Did you have a bad dream or something?"

"You could say that." Dean said. The bartender set a couple bottles of beer in front of him and Nia.

"Well…what's the deal with you?" Dean asked, referring to the night before when she left him for a few minutes to go talk to some guy who she seemed to despise.

"What do you mean?" Nia asked, trying to get him to specify what exactly he wanted to know. "You talking about the guy I was talking to last night?"

"Yeah." Dean answered. "Is he like your boyfriend or something?"

"Ex-boyfriend." Nia clarified. "Someone who just can't seem to take a…" Her sentence trailed off as she started looking in a different direction completely. She sighed in frustration. "You know what…hold that thought. I'll be right back." Before Dean could say anything to keep her from leaving the bar, she was gone.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nia asked as she walked up to Rob, grabbed his arm and turned him around.

"Nia…I was hoping to find you here." He said to her. "We need to talk."

"No we don't Rob." Nia said. This had to be the millionth time telling him the same damn thing. She didn't understand why he was so damn obsessed with her. He was like a mosquito that just wouldn't die and kept biting until it drove you mad.

"Yes we do…this is important." He answered.

At first, Nia actually thought that he was serious but she decided to continue trying to get rid of him. "It's always important Rob and I don't want to hear it."

"Jenna's dead." Rob blurted out before Nia could continue berating him.

"Excuse me?" Nia almost didn't believe what she was hearing. How could one of her friends…or former friends just be dead? "What do you mean Jenna's dead?"

"Look." Rob started and he held up a box in front of her. "I just found out a couple days ago that Jenna was the one who stole it. My guess is that it's the reason why she is dead."

Nia could feel her emotions bubble up but she pushed them back down and grabbed the box out of his hand. "She opened it up, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Rob answered. "And whatever the hell was in it is gone."

Nia looked down at the floor and shook her head. How could this happen? How could Jenna not only steal the box but lose everything that was inside it? The box was closed and sealed for a good reason and now her worse nightmare was unleashed all over again. "Wonderful." Nia said in almost a whisper and she turned around and walked away with the box firmly clutched in her hand.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"So, what was that about?" Dean curiously said.

"It was about this." She placed the box up on the bar so Dean could see it. "The cause of everything bad in my life."

"…A box?" Dean said with uncertainty. Why the hell would a box be the cause of everything bad in her life? It just didn't make sense.

"Well, it's not the box that is the problem; it's what was inside of it." Nia really didn't want to get into it with him right now on why a little box would cause so much trouble.

"Was?" Dean really wasn't trying to be nosey but he was curious.

"Yeah." She said just before picking up her beer and taking a sip of it.

Dean looked at her for a second and then glanced at the box. Was there something strange going on in the town or was it just a squabble between her and her ex boyfriend that seemed to be showing up everywhere? He had no way of knowing and to top it all off, it wasn't really his business. He looked back up at her and raised his eyebrows for a second. "Long story?" She didn't have a verbal reply to that but the look in her eyes told Dean that he hit it right on the nose.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After leaving the motel, Sam almost knew where he'd find his older brother. There was only one other place in the town where they had been and it was right up Dean's alley. When Sam pulled the Impala into the parking lot, there was almost nobody there just like the night before.

Sam knew that there was something wrong with Dean. Ever since he had been shot, something had been on his mind. Whatever it was, it must've been bad because Dean wasn't acting like himself at all. He wasn't sleeping well, he wasn't eating much and he was way too jumpy and, in the line of work that they were in, it made Sam uncomfortable.

Sam sighed in frustration as he got out of the car. He didn't really have a clue what he was going to say to Dean. He didn't want to make him mad but he really wanted to know what was going on. It wasn't like him to leave the Impala behind in order to take a long 

walk out in the middle of nowhere.

When he walked into the bar, he could spot Dean immediately. He thought about just walking up to him and saying something but then thought better of it because he knew that if he did that, it would get him nowhere.

"Hey, isn't that your brother Sam?" Nia asked Dean as she glancing at the door to the bar.

Dean took a deep breath and glanced in the direction that she was indicating. Dean sighed and nodded before turning back around to face the bar. He still didn't want to talk to him but he really didn't have much choice now. He knew that when he turned around and looked in Sam's direction that Sam had noticed him.

Okay, now Sam did have to talk to him. He wasn't going to go up to the bar but now that Dean saw him, he didn't see much point in standing there like an idiot waiting for Dean to approach him. Instead, he began walking towards the bar.

When Sam reached the bar, he glanced over at Dean who was sitting there with a half empty beer bottle sitting in front of him. Why wouldn't Dean acknowledge him being there? What was going on and what did it possibly have to do with him? He knew that Dean didn't want to talk to him after what had happened earlier with the cell phone but he had to find out what was going on. Sometimes Dean needed a nudge in the right direction to get him to talk.

"Hey." Sam said in a quiet voice hoping that it wasn't too quiet for Dean to hear.

Dean took a sip of his beer and glanced at Sam. "Hey."

Well at least Dean was noticing him there. That was a start. "Hey Dean…we need to talk." He didn't know if it was too soon to start nudging but he had to give it a try.

Dean closed his eyes the moment he heard what Sam said. Somehow he knew that Sam would say something like that but he wasn't really sure how to react. He didn't want to start yelling at Sam for not leaving him alone when he obviously wanted to be left alone. He also didn't want to talk about what was going on.

"No Sam…we don't." Dean decided to go with what came natural.

"Dean…"

Dean got up off his bar stool and looked Sam dead in the eye. "Sam…let it go!" His voice was a little harsher sounding than he planned but he figured it wasn't such a bad thing after all. Maybe his tone was enough to get Sam to back off. He knew that Sam was only looking out for him in trying to find out what was wrong but he needed to back off and wait until he was ready to talk about it.

Dean downed the rest of his beer and walked away from the bar. He needed to get away from Sam before Sam started asking more questions. Sam sighed, frustrated and slightly angry as his brother walked out the door.

"Is he always like that?" Nia asked startling Sam a bit.

Sam quickly looked in Nia's direction. "What?"

Nia smiled at him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just wondering if your brother was always like this." Sam didn't answer her but the look on his face told her that she was right. Dean was like this all the time. No wonder why he was such a mess earlier that morning.

They sat there in complete silence for a few minutes until finally, Sam looked at her with a strange expression on his face. "Hey…Do I know you?"

"Not exactly." She said with a smile on her face. "You have seen me before though. I was the one that made a complete fool of your brother last night."

"Oh…you're the one that bought him the shot of tequila." Sam said with a smile on his face as he remembered Dean's reaction after Nia had walked away.

"Yeah." She said. "Honestly, I didn't think he would react that way. He seemed like the confident type."

"Well, he usually is." Sam explained. "I don't know what had been going with him lately but he hasn't been acting like himself."

"Yeah…I noticed that. I actually wanted to ask you about that." Nia said remembering the way Dean had acted earlier that morning. She really wanted to know what was going on. She knew that it had something to do with Sam but she didn't know what it was.

"Look, I don't know what's going on in that twisted mind of his." Sam answered. He really wished he could explain it to him but he didn't know how.

"Well, whatever it is, I know it has something to do with you and whatever happened on your last job." She stood up and picked up the box that she had set on the table. She really wanted to stay but she needed to get a lot of stuff done. With the box opened, she had to do a lot of stuff to do to keep her and her apartment safe. "I really wish I could stay and talk about this but I actually have a lot of stuff to do." She didn't give Sam a chance to say anything else, she just made her way to the door. She shot Sam one last sympathetic smile and walked out the door. She didn't want to seem antisocial or rude but there was stuff that she needed to do and she really didn't feel like engaging in an uncomfortable conversation with Sam about his brother. Whatever was wrong was between the two of them and she didn't want Dean getting mad at her for talking to Sam 

about stuff that he obviously didn't want to talk about.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Dean knew that the minute that Sam walked into the bar that he would immediately try to get him to talk about what was bothering him. He just didn't feel like talking about it. He just wanted to block it out of his mind so that he could move on. He just didn't think that it would be so hard.

When Nia walked out of the bar, she could see Dean standing there leaning against the Impala with his arms resting on the roof. She knew that he wanted to be alone but she didn't want to just leave without saying goodbye. She slowly walked up to him making sure not to startle him at all and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

Sharp pain shot through his shoulder and down his arm making him flinch and turn around quickly.

"Oh…I'm sorry." Nia said as she pulled her hand back. She really didn't want to hurt him. She just wanted to get his attention and she didn't realize that she put her hand on his injured shoulder.

Dean squinted his eyes shut and kept his eyes screwed up shut until the pain finally dissipated. When he finally opened them, Nia was still standing there. "You okay?" She asked in a caring voice, much like the tone of voice that she used earlier that day when she was talking to him. Dean just nodded and waited for her to continue.

"So…do you know how long you will be in town?" Nia asked. Dean shrugged his shoulders. There was a silence the hung in the air between them for a few seconds. "Well, if you ever need to get ahold of me or want to, I ah…live above the bar."

"Okay." Dean said as he gave her one of his trademark smirks.

"Remember to talk to your brother." Nia said and she received a depressed look. "He means well. He just wants to know what's going on and how to help."

"I know." Dean said and he took a deep breath. "I'll figure something out."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it." Nia said. She gave him a small smile. "I'll catch you later." Dean smiled and watched her walk off towards a set of steps on the right hand wall of the bar. Dean couldn't help but smile after she walked away. She was the most beautiful and unique person he had ever met. She was there for him when he felt like he couldn't talk to Sam. She was more understanding about stuff than anyone he had met that wasn't connected to the family in some way. She didn't need to know his background to understand that he was hurting. She wasn't pushy or too nosey and she knew just the right thing to say. It was weird for Dean to be on the other side of charm but he didn't mind it at all.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Things between Sam and Dean had become quite awkward during the ride back to the motel. Neither of them seemed to know what to say to one another. After hearing what Nia had to say, Sam didn't want to push things too much. He had a feeling that Nia was right, whatever was bothering Dean had something to do with the last job they did. Ever since that job, Dean had been acting different. He had been more jumpy and more jittery than normal and it worried Sam.

"Hey Sammy….can you pull over for a minute." Dean's sudden vocalization startled Sam and tore him from his thoughts. He immediately did as Dean asked and pulled the Impala over.

After the Impala had come to a complete stop, Sam shot a concerned look at his older brother who sat there for a second in complete silence. "Dean…you okay?" Sam said in almost a whisper. He knew the answer to the question but he had to hear it out of Dean first.

"Listen Sam…you were right. We do need to talk." Dean said in a tone that made Sam think that he was going to start crying which was a rare occasion for Dean.

"It's fine Dean…if you don't want to talk about it, I'm fine with it." Sam explained knowing that his brother really didn't want to talk to him about what was bothering him.

"Yeah I do Sam." Dean looked over at his younger brother with teary eyes. At that sight, Sam's heart sank. What could be bothering Dean to the point that he would be tearing up? "Listen Sam…our last job…it…well it could have gone a lot worse."

"I know that Dean." Sam said in the same soft tone as before.

"Sammy…you could have died." Dean said knowing that his voice was cracking. He just couldn't help it. He knew that Nia was right when she told him that he had to talk to his brother but he didn't know it would be so hard.

"But I didn't Dean." Sam started explaining in the same soft tone as before. "I'm here and I'm fine."

Dean just sat there for a second as if not believing what his brother was telling him. Something was definitely eating him alive and Sam just couldn't figure out what it was.

Dean didn't really know how to explain to Sam what was going through his head. There was so much he wanted to explain to Sam. He wanted to explain why he wasn't sleeping, why he was jumpy, everything that was wrong but he just didn't know how.

"Dean…whatever is going on, we'll get through it." Sam had a sympathetic expression 

on his face. He knew that Dean was upset. It was obvious. It was written all over his face. He had a feeling that Dean didn't know how obvious it was though.

"Sam…it's not that easy." Dean said with the same expression on his face that he had before.

"I know that Dean." Sam answered quickly. "It never is."

Dean raked his hands through his already messed up hair and sighed loudly. Sam knew that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Dean always had problems with emotional things. He always had trouble talking about things that were on their mind. Sam tried many times to help Dean with emotional things but sometimes there was just no way that to help the way he wanted to.

Sam put the Impala in drive and started driving again. He didn't know how to help Dean. No matter how many times he ran everything through his head, he just didn't know what was bothering Dean so much. Nia said that it had something to do with their last job. Their last job was bad but Sam didn't think it was that bad…well…besides Dean getting injured. Sam ran the events of his last job through his head again as he drove back to the motel. Somehow he would find a way to help Dean and get him back to normal again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_Sorry that that the chapter is so late. I know I said like a month or two ago that I would have it ready to update on the following Monday or Tuesday but college had me busy and so did work. I really hope you like it. Please review. I would really appreciate it._


	4. More Than Meets the Eye

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of their characters. I do however own my strange fascination with causing Sam and Dean pain and toying with their emotions.

_So here is chapter 4. Thank you for the reviews so far. I really appreciate the feedback and look forward to hearing what people think of my story. I am hoping to cause Dean a little more emotional pain in this one. Not sure what is going to happen though. I'm still not sure where I am going with it but I will try to make it as good as I can. Please read and review. I'm dying to find out what you think._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter 4: More Than Meets the Eye

The rest of the day had been quite boring. Neither of them could think of anything to say to one another. Dean wanted to tell Sam everything that was going on in his head but didn't have the slightest clue how and he also knew that Sam wanted to know. Sam wanted to help him however possible. Dean was bored and tired but didn't really want to lay down because he thought that if he did, he would have another nightmare.

"Dude...relax." Sam said looking up at him from his laptop. Dean had been pacing back and forth in the motel room for almost an hour and it was driving him crazy.

Dean stopped and looked at him. "Huh?"

"You've been pacing for almost an hour." Sam explained. Dean looked down at the floor and back up at Sam with a blank expression on his face.

"Oh." It was the only thing that came out of Dean's mouth before sitting down on his bed. He had so much stuff on his mind and he was trying to act as normal as possible but after everything that had happened that morning, it was almost impossible. Sam knew that Dean was upset about his last job and Dean tried to tell him about it but he just didn't know how to completely explain it.

Suddenly the phone rang. Sam picked up the phone from the stand beside his bed and answered it. "Hello." He said not having a clue as to who it was on the other end.

It Was Pete Johnson. He was the son of the man who owned the motel. "I have someone named Nia on hold looking for Dean. You want me to transfer her through?"

"Yeah." Sam answered and he passed the phone to Dean. Dean gave him a strange look as he took the phone out of his hand. "It's Nia."

Dean put the phone up to his ear with a skeptical look on his face. "Hello." He answered.

"Hey Dean." She said. Something was wrong. She didn't sound like she did earlier. 

Dean couldn't quite put his finger on it but something was different in her voice.

"How did you know I was here at the motel?" Dean asked curiously.

"Well, I suggested it to you and since you aren't familiar with the area, I had a feeling you would be staying there." She said trying hard to keep her voice as normal as possible. She didn't want to broadcast that she had been crying. It wasn't a common thing for her and she had always done everything she could to keep from crying.

"What's going on?" Dean asked not really knowing what else to say.

"I was actually calling to ask you if you could do me a big favor." Nia asked. "I kind of need a ride home."

"Sure." Dean answered. "Where are you?"

Nia froze for a second. "I'm a…I'm at the hospital."

Dean raised his eyebrows. That was why she sounded different. Something must have happened. But what could have happened where she would end up in the hospital? "You okay?"

"Yeah…I'll live. I just…..really don't wanna be here anymore." She answered almost letting her voice break. She had a feeling that he would understand though.

"Okay…I'm on my way." Dean said and without saying another word, he handed the phone back to Sam who hung it up.

"What's going on?" Sam asked wanting to know the other half of the conversation. He didn't know Nia that well but she seemed to be the only one that was able to get Dean to open up some and talk about what had been bothering him. He had done it before but she did it in record time.

"I need the keys to the Impala." Dean said. "Nia asked me to pick her up from the hospital."

"Hospital? What happened? Is she okay?" Sam asked forgetting that she and Dean had only had a two minute conversation on the phone.

"I don't know what happened. All I know is that she said she'll live." Dean answered catching the keys that Sam had just tossed to him. He got up off his bed and walked to the door. "I'll be back." Sam didn't get a chance to say anything because Dean walked out the door and closed it behind him before he could.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Dean had to stop at a local gas station to ask directions to the hospital. If he had thought about it, he would have asked for directions when he was on the phone with Nia but he didn't think of that at the time. When he walked in, he walked up to the receptionist's desk.

"Can I help you sir?" She asked.

"uh…yeah. I'm looking for a patient who was brought here tonight. Her name is Nia?" Dean said in an unsure voice.

"Okay…what's her last name?" the receptionist asked. Dean's blank expression that he wore when he walked in turned into a panicked expression. All the time that he had spent with her, he didn't even know her last name. "I…I don't know her last name. I just met her yesterday."

The receptionist pursed her lips as she looked up at him from her computer screen. "So I take it you aren't family. Let me call down there and see if she is expecting you." Before he could protest and explain things better, she picked up the phone.

Of course she was expecting him. She's the one that called him and asked him to pick her up. "She's in room 126." Her voice tore him from his thoughts and he shifted his attention back to the graying old woman behind the desk. "Go through the double doors and follow that hall. You will see room 126 on the left."

"Thanks." Dean said and he walked away towards the double doors. After he walked through the double doors, he only had to walk down the hall about twenty feet before he saw the room he was looking for. He hesitated for a second. He had no idea what he was going to say to her when he walked in but he decided that he would just wing it and see what happens.

When he walked in, the only person in the room was Nia. She was in her normal clothing and was sitting facing the window. She was already waiting for him. She must not have noticed him walk in because she didn't even respond to him walking into the room so Dean gave the open door a couple of knocks.

Nia turned around on her hospital bed just enough for her to see who walked in. "Hey." Dean said.

Nia gave him a sad and depressed looking smile. "Hey."

"You okay?" Dean asked in a serious tone. Earlier that morning, she was all positive and happy and now she was depressed and sad. It was like she was the polar opposite of her morning self. What was going on.

"Yeah." She said in a soft tone. It was so soft that Dean almost didn't hear it. She looked back at the window, up at the clock, and then back at Dean. "Can we leave?"

"Yeah…no problem." Dean said.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After Dean got Nia into the car, he walked around and got into the car himself. He could see her battling with her emotions. He could also see that she didn't want to show them to anyone. It was the same battle that he had fought against himself earlier that morning and miserably lost to.

"What happened?" Dean asked in a soft tone as he looked down at her wrists that were both heavily bandaged.

Nia kept her eyes fixed on something unknown outside the windshield when she answered him. "It wasn't me….I didn't do it."

"I don't understand." Dean said truthfully.

"I know what I saw….I'm not crazy." Nia continued. Dean didn't know what to say or how to console her. He didn't have a clue who the hell she was talking about or what it had to do with her being crazy. "That bitch ruined everything in my life once…I'm not gonna let it happen again."

Dean started up the Impala. "What bitch?" Who the hell was she talking about?

Nia looked over at him with tears in her eyes. "The Blood Countess." She whispered.

_The Blood Countess? Where have I heard that before? God, that name sounds so familiar. I know I've heard it somewhere. Maybe it's in Dad's journal…who knows._ "Who's the Blood Countess?" Dean asked hoping that maybe she could refresh his memory or maybe even give him a slight hint into what she was talking about.

"Never mind." She said as she turned back away from him and leaned on the inside of the door. Dean put the car in gear and drove out of the hospital parking lot.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Once they got into the bar parking lot, Nia had calmed down a lot. Nia turned to look at dean as he put the car in park and cut power to the engine. "Hey Dean…Sorry for ruining your day like this." Her voice was still slightly depressed but she sounded a lot better than she did before they left the hospital

"What makes you think that you ruined my day?" Dean said in a reassuring voice. Why would she even think that? If anything, she made his day go a lot better. After the dream he had the night before, talking to her and just having her around was refreshing and almost soothing.

Nia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." She didn't know what else to say to him so she just waited for him to speak again.

"Who's the Blood Countess?" Dean asked out of the blue. It had been bugging him ever since she mentioned it the first time. He had heard it before but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Nia's eyes widened in fear at the mere mention of that name. She closed her eyes for a second to calm herself down. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"You would be surprised what I will believe." Dean said. The truth was, nothing out of her mouth would surprise him after everything that he and his brother had seen in their lives.

"It's kind of a long story." Nia said as she glanced out the window at her apartment. "If you want a cup of coffee, I can tell you…unless you don't have time."

"I don't have any other plans." Dean said as he opened his car door. She gave him a shy smile as she watched him get out of the door and shut the car behind him. She sat there for a second before finally deciding to get out of the car herself. Just as she was reaching for the door handle, the door slowly opened up revealing Dean on the other side.

"Thanks." She said with the same shy smile on her face as she stepped out of the car. She vaguely heard Dean close the door as she stared up at her apartment. She had a lot of work to do in order to keep herself save in her apartment. She wasn't sure whether she was doing the right thing by telling Dean about what was going on. What if he thought she was crazy like everyone else did? What if she was wasting the time she needed to protect herself? She had already told so many people about what was going on, there were very few people who took her seriously. Most people thought that she was suicidal and concocted the story about the Blood Countess to get attention or for an excuse for what happened.

She pushed her nagging thoughts out of her head when she saw Dean come up beside her. She had to believe that there was at least one person in the world that would understand what was going on and not think that she was crazy. She had to believe that maybe Dean would take the time to listen to her and not judge her by what happened. She knew what happened. She knew that she wasn't seeing things. She knew that her story did sound a bit ridiculous but she also knew that she wasn't crazy. She was attacked by an older looking woman that looked like she came out of the times of Christopher Columbus. She knew that is sounded crazy and honestly, if she were anyone else, she wouldn't believe the story either.

"You okay?" Dean said as he saw her stare at her apartment. He didn't know what to think about her actions.

Dean's voice lured her away from her thoughts and snapped her back to the here and now. "Yeah. I was just thinking." She said as she began walking towards the stairs that ran up the side of the bar to a small apartment above. Dean slowly walked with her, eager to hear what she had to say. From what she had said so far, it seemed like she was attacked by some sort of ghost or spirit of some sort, a mad one at that. He knew that this was his time to "rest and relax" but the thought of being able to help someone and being able to keep himself occupied in the process sounded promising.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"So, would you like a cup of coffee?" Nia asked as she walked from the door of her apartment to the kitchen.

Dean had a blank expression on his face. It wasn't his normal visit to a woman's house. Usually, if he was at a woman's house, it was for other reasons. "Uh…sure." He said as he followed a little behind her to the kitchen which was attached to the living room with no wall in between.

Nia was silent when she reached up in her cupboards to get a couple of coffee cups. She wondered if she would even have the strength to hold them after what happened. She focused all of her concentration on keeping from dropping the glasses. She let out a sigh of relief when she set both coffee cups on the counter.

"You okay?" Dean asked without even thinking. He walked over to the kitchen counter to where she was standing.

She gave him a hopeful smirk. "I'll live." She slid a jar of coffee away from the wall towards the cups. "I'm sorry, I only have instant."

"Fine by me." Dean said. He looked down at her bandaged wrists and realized that it was probably painful to hold heavy stuff. "Here…let me get them."

Nia looked at him with a slightly depressed expression. She struck Dean as an independent and very self sufficient woman who didn't like to ask for help. She gently grabbed one bandaged wrist with the other hand. "Thanks." Without another word, she walked over to the kitchen table and sat down.

"So, how do you like your coffee?" Dean asked as he filled both mugs with water and placed them in the microwave.

"I like mine black with two teaspoons of sugar." Dean smirked after hearing that. It wasn't every day that he met a woman that didn't want a pound of sugar and a gallon of milk in their cup of coffee. He looked around the counter for a minute to find the sugar bowl. Then he found it. It was sitting on the counter next to the window. When he picked it up, he noticed something on the edge of the counter. At first, he thought that the sugar bowl had once gotten spilled. He touched his finger on the granulated white 

substance and tasted it. _Salt. I get it now. She is being attacked by a spirit. She's trying to protect herself. It's a good thing that she met me. Me and Sammy can help her with this. After all, this is what we do._

When Nia saw that Dean had noticed the salt on the edge of her counter she got up and walked over. "Oh crap….the sugar bowl must've…."

"It's salt." Dean interrupted. She didn't know what he and Sam did for a living and no doubt thought that he would think there was something wrong with her for putting salt down in front of her windows. It was actually quite clever. She obviously had a good idea of what she was dealing with and how to keep it away at least temporarily.

The look on Nia's face was almost like a look of fear. Like the look that a kids get when they get caught in a lie. "This Blood Countess woman that you were talking about…she's a spirit, isn't she?" Dean knew that it was a stupid question but he wanted to hear it come out of her mouth.

Nia sighed and walked back over to the table and sat down. She looked up at him with questioning eyes. "How did you know?" Her voice was so soft, it was almost a whisper.

He leaned against the counter while he waited for the microwave to get done. "Well, the salt is kind of a dead giveaway." The microwave beeped tearing him away from her reaction to his comment. He put two teaspoons of sugar in one and put a teaspoon of instant coffee in each of them. After he closed the coffee can up and put everything back where it belonged, he walked over to the table with both coffee cups and sat down across from her.

They sat in silence for a few seconds. "How do you know about that stuff?" Her question seemed as innocent as a question being asked by a five year old.

"Yeah, it's kinda…well…its kinda my job." Dean said not expecting her to believe it but hoping that she would.

"You deal with this sort of stuff?" It wasn't what he was hoping for out of her mouth but he'd take it.

"On a daily basis." He said in a serious tone that made Nia think that he was going to revert back to the mood that he was in that morning.

"So, your last job….when you got shot…that was a…" She wanted to say ghost but she was interrupted.

"It was a pissed off old man with a gun." Dean said. He knew what she was about to say. "He knew what we were up to and wanted to put a stop to it."

"What happened?" She paused. _What if it's too painful for him to talk about. I don't _

_really want to push things too much. Especially after what happened this morning._ "If you don't mind me asking." She wisely added.

Dean took a deep breath as he got ready to tell the story about how he got shot saving Sammy's ass and sent to the hospital for half the week. "Ok, well, we were there because we had heard stories and read newspaper articles about people going into this old condemned house and not coming back. Well, people were saying it was the spirit of the building owner's late wife. We decided to go get rid of the spirit. Well, after searching the place, getting separated and lost, I managed to find Sammy. When I found him though, the building owner was pointing a gun at him. He kept talking about how he want going to let us drive his wife out of the house. Well, he got so pissed off, he decided to fire the gun. I just managed to push Sammy out of the way when the bullet hit me in the shoulder."

"Oh my god." Nia said covering her mouth slightly in shock. "So how did you injure your ribs?" She couldn't help it. Curiosity was getting the best of her.

"I tumbled down a flight of stairs and when I got to the next landing, I went ribs first into the railing." He grimaced at the memories it was bringing up. They were painful memories that he didn't want to remember.

"Ouch." She said and took a sip of her coffee. She paused for a minute. "So…do you deal with that often? You know…getting injured."

Dean sighed and let his memories of previous hunts wash over him. He could recall on numerous occasions where he or Sam had been shot, thrown off something, beat up, or almost died. "A lot more than I want to admit. It's not exactly what you would call a pleasant job."

There was a silence that hung in the air between them. Nia had a million questions that she wanted to ask him. She had never really known anyone that knew a lot about this sort of thing. "So…how do you get rid of spirits?"

Dean was a little bit shocked. The question was direct and it caught him way off guard. He knew how to answer it but he didn't know if there was going to be a way for him to explain it without being confusing. This sort of thing was second nature to him but it was fairly new to her. She wasn't as well versed in spirit lore as he was but he knew that she needed to know the answer. "Well, normally to get rid of a spirit, you would find the grave, dig it up, and salt and burn the bones."

"What happens if there isn't a grave or it's too far away to get to?" Nia asked. She didn't want to sound pushy or ask too many questions but the fact was, the grave of the spirit that was going after her was way too far away for her to get to.

"Well." Dean paused for a second to take a deep breath. "Sometimes a spirit will get attached to an object. In which case, you would have to destroy the object instead."

Nia had a look of disappointment on her face. "Oh." It was the only thing out of her mouth before she took another sip of her coffee.

"So…this Blood Countess woman…do you know what her real name is?" Dean asked hoping to help her like she did him earlier that day.

She sighed in frustration. "I don't know? I've tried doing the research but haven't found much. All I know is that she was some kind of Hungarian nobility and she lived in the 1600s."

"Maybe Sammy will know." Dean said. "I'll give him a call." He started digging in his pockets for his phone but didn't find it. Nia set his phone down on the table. Dean stopped digging in his pockets, looked at the phone, and smirked.

"I figured that you might need it." Nia said with a smirk on her face. Dean was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. Nia got up and walked over to the door. She didn't know who it was but had a feeling that it was either her friend Alyson or her Ex-boyfriend Rob. When she opened the door, she sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." It was Rob.

"Hold on a minute." She said and she closed the door. She turned to Dean with a slightly depressed expression on her face. "It's my ex-boyfriend Rob. Is there any way that we could continue this tomorrow or something? I don't want you to have to deal with him. He isn't exactly pleasant."

"Hey, no problem." Dean said as he got up. Truth was, he really didn't want to have to deal with the guy either. He had enough problems with everything going on in his life to have to deal with her ex-boyfriend. Nia opened the door up and Rob walked in. Dean kinda just nodded to him as he made his way to the door. He turned to Nia. "I'll talk to Sam about that. He might know who she is. If you need to reach me…"

"I'll call the motel like I did today." Dean gave her a smirk. "I'll see you later." Dean gave her a quick wave and walked out the door with her closing it behind him.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

_So, there is chapter 4. I really hope that everyone liked it. I am sorry it has been so long since an update. I just hope that I still have readers left. Also, I apologize for the chapters being so long. Normally when I write fanfiction stories, the chapters aren't that long but I feel like I am stopping the chapters in the right place._


	5. A Job?

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. Nor do I own any of the characters. I just like the fact that I can borrow them from time to time for entertainment.

_Author Note: So I know it's been a Loooooong time since I updated. 3 or 4 years I think. Been watching Supernatural from the beginning and it got me in the mood to work on my story. This chapter is a little bit of a change of mood. Little bit more light hearted than the previous chapters. Hope you enjoy it. Would love to get reviews. Not getting reviews is discouraging because I don't actually know if people like it or not. So please review._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Chapter 5

A Job?

When Dean got back to the motel, Sam was flipping through the channels on the TV. He sat up straight when Dean walked into the room. "So what's up? Is everything okay with Nia?"

Dean sat down on his bed and sighed. "Yeah but I don't think our time here is going to be all rest and relaxation like you planned."

Sam's expression turned to confusion. "What do you mean? Do you think we have a job here?"

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "I think we do have a job here. Nia was attacked by a malevolent spirit. Does the name Blood Countess sound familiar to you? It does to me but I can't remember where I've heard it."

Sam smirked in amusement. "Dean, the Blood Countess is one of the most brutal women in history." Dean still had a blank expression on his face. "Dean, the Blood Countess is Elizabeth Bathory."

Dean snapped his fingers as if it suddenly clicked in his brain. "Isn't she the one that used to drain the blood from her victims and bathe in their blood or something?"

"Some people even say that she used to string people up in cages and shower in their blood as well. It was said that she killed hundreds. I mean, she was so bad ass that when she was sentenced, they bricked her up in her own home." Sam took a deep breath. "Elizabeth Bathory's spirit actually attacked her?"

"Looks like it. Sliced her wrists open. She didn't get the artery so Nia is okay but she might not be so lucky next time." Dean said.

"Well, we can't salt and burn the bones. They're overseas so we'll have to find another way of getting rid of her." Sam pointed out.

"Don't have to salt and burn the bones. Looks like her spirit's attached to an object." Dean explained. "Turns out the object, whatever it was, is something Nia doesn't have anymore."

"Maybe we should go talk to her, you know, het the whole story behind it." Sam said. He paused for a second. "If you're not up to it…"

"Oh I'm up to it." Dean said. "I feel like crap and really need a break from everything but we can't just walk away from this. I can't just walk away." He sat there for a few seconds. He desperately needed time away from the job but he couldn't just let Nia fend for herself against the malevolent spirit of one of the most brutal women in history. That and he actually liked her. Not in a way where he wanted to get her into bed either. There was something about her presence that seemed to calm him down. Dean stood up suddenly. "Let's go now."

Sam grimaced. "Now? Really?"

"Sam, that spirit went after her last night and almost killed her. What's to say she isn't going to try again tonight." He paused for a second. "Nia knows very little about protecting herself against her and we do. We can keep her safe tonight and see what we can do tomorrow about whatever object the spirit is attached to."

Sam smirked as he stood up. "You really like her, don't you?"

Dean looked at him for a second. "Shut up." He turned around and walked out of the motel room with Sam close behind him. Once they got outside, Dean tossed Sam the keys. "You're driving. She lives above the bar." Dean walked to the passenger side door and got in without another word.

Sam huffed and shook his head. His brother was unbelievable. The minute the mere mention of feelings came up, he shut right down and made smart ass comments. Same got in the impala, started it up, and they made their way toward the bar.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Nia jumped when she heard a knock at the door. She wasn't expecting anyone. She took a deep breath to calm herself and walked to the door. "Who is it?" she called through the door, hoping it wouldn't be unwanted company.

"Dean and Sam." Dean said.

The door opened suddenly. "I didn't realize you'd come back so soon." Nia said with a friendly but worried expression on her face. She was a little bit freaked out about being alone in her apartment for the night and she really wasn't in the mood for company. "What brings you here?"

Dean studied her expression. "Are you okay? You seem worried."

Nia sighed in frustration and walked away from the door, allowing them to walk in. "After what happened last night, I just know that she's going to come back and try to kill me again. I really don't know how to protect myself anymore."

Sam closed the door and looked at Nia. "We can help."

Nia looked at Sam with a hopeful expression and then turned her gaze to Dean. "Are you sure? I mean, I know that your last job didn't go that well and you probably want to…" She stopped suddenly when she realized that she was starting to cry. She didn't realize how scared she was until that moment. She did want their help. She didn't want to admit it but she didn't want to face the Blood Countess alone. She knew that if that happened, she would lose.

Dean walked over to the table where the box was sitting. It was the box that she had at the bar. He picked up the cover. "Nia, what was in here?"

She wiped her cheeks with the palms of her hands and sat down. "What does it matter? It's gone now and I don't know if I can get it back."

Sam leaned against the kitchen counter behind Dean. "We think that whatever was inside the box is what the spirit is attached to. If we can find whatever it was, we can destroy it and the spirit will disappear."

"How do you destroy a dagger?" Nia asked, hysteria starting to creep into her voice. "What are you supposed to do, melt it down or something?"

"Yeah." Dean said truthfully. He paused for a second. "I am curious though. How did you keep her away before?"

Nia tucked her hair behind her ears. "You're probably going to think I'm nuts if I tell you."

"Try us." Sam said.

"Okay." Nia started and took a deep breath. "So I was overseas with the high school's Heritage tour. I found this dagger at a flea market and figured that it would be a nice addition to my father's knife collection. I had it boxed up and had it shipped so I wouldn't be stopped at the airport." She paused to collect her thoughts. "After she killed my parents and tried to kill me, I did a lot of research. I took it to a witch."

"I hate witches." Dean muttered with a grimace as he remembered all of the bad encounters he had had with witches and hexes and spells. "Sorry. You were saying?"

"So, the dagger was placed in an iron box with a binding tile. A spell was performed and the spirit somehow was bound to the dagger and because of the binding tile, had to stay with it. I'm not sure how all of that works so I ended up filling the box with salt and having it welded shut. Then I had it dunked in holy water. Don't know if the holy water did any good but I figured that it couldn't hurt."

"Wow." Sam said. "And that all kept her away?"

"Yeah." Nia said. "That is, until one of my friends took the box and had someone open it. Apparently she thought that the dagger was going to be worth big money or something. I wonder if she even realizes what she has done."

"So you think she sold it." Dean said, almost asking for clarification.

"Yeah but I don't know who would buy it. It doesn't even look like much." She explained.

Dean looked at Sam. "Pawn shops buy all kinds of stuff. I bet it's at a pawn shop somewhere."

Nia sighed in frustration. "There's only one pawn shop in town and it's closed. What do I do until it opens?"

Dean smirked. "We stay inside and keep safe."

"And how are we supposed to keep safe?" Nia asked and was answered only by a smirk.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Nia stood there staring down at her floor and shook her head. "How is this supposed to work?" She asked, referring to the giant circle of salt on her kitchen floor. Her kitchen table and chairs had been moved to the living room to make room. "I already tried salt in the windows and the doorways and it didn't work."

"Salt in the windows sills and doorways won't stop a spirit from going through the walls." Dean explained. "If we stay inside the circle, we'll be okay. After we get up, we can go find the dagger that her spirit is attached to and destroy it so you won't have to deal with her anymore."

Nia thought for a second. "So we're all supposed to sleep inside the circle of salt." It was almost a question.

"We can leave and come back." Dean said.

Nia became silent and a look of fear showed on her face. She didn't want to be alone. She also didn't want to seem like a helpless little girl either. She opened her mouth to say something but she closed it once she realized that she didn't know what to say.

Dean looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "You have pillows and blankets?" Nia smirked and walked off toward her bedroom. Dean followed behind to help her carry out blankets and pillows.

Once in her room, Nia walked to her closet and started pulling out blankets and handing them to Dean. After she was satisfied that they had enough blankets, she grabbed all of the pillows off her bed and they walked back out into the kitchen.

Nia spread three blankets out on the floor with a pillow at the top of each one. She handed another blanket to Sam and another one to Dean. Dean looked down at his blanket and grimaced. "This is just embarrassing. Never thought I'd be sleeping with a My Little Pony blanket."

"What's wrong with My Little Pony?" Nia asked with a smile on her face.

Dean looked at her. "It's freakin' My Little Pony." Dean spat.

Sam looked over at Dean. "Dude, I'll trade you my Strawberry Shortcake blanket for your My Little Pony blanket."

Dean chuckled. "You wish. My Little Pony rocks!" Dean sat down on his makeshift bed and spread the blanket over himself. Nia sat down on her makeshift bed beside Dean and Sam on Nia's other side.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Sam was the first to fall asleep. Nia was preoccupied with the thought of the Blood Countess trying to come after her even though Sam and Dean had assured her that nothing would happen and that she would be safe. Nia looked over at Dean who was staring straight up at the ceiling. "So do you think you'll have another nightmare tonight?" She whispered.

Dean slowly turned his head to face her. "I hope not. I've been having the same dream for a week now. It's starting to get old."

She gave him a hopeful yet tired smile. Maybe tonight will be different."

Dean took a deep breath, ignoring the soreness of his broken ribs. "Yeah, maybe tonight will be different." He looked back up at the ceiling for a minute and closed his eyes.

Nia watched Dean for a long time until finally sleep claimed her as well. She didn't know Dean that well but for some reason, she felt safe around him. She let that feeling wash through her body as she drifted off into a dream that she would probably not remember when she woke up.

The house was quiet as the three slept, warmed by My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake and Hello Kitty blankets and all was peaceful in Nia's apartment. The next day was already planned and would either fix the problems in Nia's life or not solve anything at all. Time would only tell.


End file.
